Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

Is it possible to find humor -- corrosive, taboo-shattering, laugh-till-you-cry humor -- in the story of a 38-year-old- cartoonist who's both a quadriplegic and a recovering alcoholic? The answer is yes, if the cartoonist is John Callahan -- whoseMore Is it possible to find humor -- corrosive, taboo-shattering, laugh-till-you-cry humor -- in the story of a 38-year-old- cartoonist who's both a quadriplegic and a recovering alcoholic? The answer is yes, if the cartoonist is John Callahan -- whose infamous work has graced the pages of Omni, Penthouse, and The New Yorker -- and if he's telling it in his own words and pictures. But Callahan's uncensored account of his troubled -- and sometimes impossible -- life is also genuinely inspiring. Without self-pity or self-righteousness, this liberating book tells us how a quadriplegic with a healthy libido has sex, what it's like to live in the exitless maze of the welfare system, where a cartoonist finds his comedy, and how a man with no reason to believe in anything discovers his own brand of faith. Less

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Todd N rated it it was amazing

almost 7 years ago

I was very sad to hear that John Callahan had passed away last month. His great memoir of his struggles with alcoholism and becoming quadriplegic was still on my main bookshelf, having survived the great Book Purge of 2003 when I moved to Palo Alto, so I reread it in trib. Read full review

Erin rated it it was amazing

over 7 years ago

Recommends it for: anyone

this book was recommended to me by a friend of mine in college. it's the autobiography of the controversial/offensive/hilarious comic john callahan, from adoption to addiction to disability. it not only looks at his disability as it relates to society as a whole, but it a. Read full review

Nicole rated it really liked it

almost 7 years ago

I'm sorry that I didn't find this book until just after Callahan's recent passing, but glad that I found it at all. I'd certainly seen a few of his cartoons, but knew nothing of the complex personality behind them. A deceptively slim volume for the amount of misery and hi. Read full review

Rob Charpentier rated it it was amazing

over 1 year ago

Recommended to Rob by: Mark L. Kidd

John Callahan was a gloriously disturbed individual as well as exceptionally funny human being. However, his life was almost nothing but tragedy and misfortune, much of it could be said to have been brought upon himself but somewhat understandably so considering his histo. Read full review

Garrett Zecker rated it really liked it

over 2 years ago

Don’t Worry. is the troubling, emotional, and evocative autobiography of the shock-cartoonist John Callahan wrote at thirty-nine about his accident, alcoholism, and life leading to his career as a cartoonist.

For whatever reason, I was expecting something completely dif. Read full review

Tracey rated it really liked it

almost 10 years ago

Recommends it for: anyone looking for a straight-shooting autobiography with a little black humor around the edges

I'm not sure where I picked up Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot: The Autobiography of a Dangerous Man but I imagine the title caught my eye, then I realized it was by John Callahan, one of my favorite sick cartoonists [http://www.callahanonline.com/index.php ].

Clint rated it it was amazing

almost 8 years ago

This is a sick, twisted, offensive, hilarious, and ultimately, poignant book. It was supposed to be made into a movie with Robin Williams some time ago, but unfortunately, it was never made. Author John Callahan is a cartoonist who, through his own admitted stupidity, bec. Read full review

Kaethe rated it it was amazing

about 3 years ago

The traditional narrative about someone suffering a debilitating accident has the victim becoming stronger, braver, kinder, and more accomplished; going on to win athletic completions, taking up painting. Superman becomes a mensch and an advocate. This is not that story. Read full review

Christy rated it liked it

over 1 year ago

His recent death made me want to read about how he got started cartooning. I enjoyed reading this for both Callahan's sense of humor (admittedly a little sick) and for his insights in being both a quadraplegic and an alcoholic. He makes light of it, but what an inner stre. Read full review

Lillian Saade rated it it was amazing

about 2 months ago